Improved self-acting brake



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

C. A. SMYTH, OF CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED SELF-ACTING BRAKE.

Speciication forming part of Letters Patent No. 5 I ,232, dated November 28, 1865.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, C. A. SMY'ri-I, of Charleston, in the county of Goles and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Self- Acting Brake; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side sectional view of my invention, taken in the line rv x, Fig. 2, Fig. 2, a plan or top view of the same. r

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

This invention relates to a new andim proved self-acting wagon -brake; and it consists in having` the brake-shaft connected in a novel way with the front bolster of the vehicle, the bolster applied to the vehicle, the front end of the perch or reach slotted, and all arranged in such a manner that the front bolster will, under the gravity of the load in descending an eminence, be made to serve as a lever to actuate the brake-shaft and apply the shoes to the wheels.

The invention further consists in applying and arranging the shoes in such a manner that they will not interfere with the backing of the vehicle.

A represents the back bolster ofa wagon B, the back axle; G G, the back wheels; and D the reach which connects the rear axle with the front aXle,E, the front end of the reach having an oblong slot, c, made in it to allow the kingbolt G to pass through into the front bolster, H, the former serving as a fulcrum for the latter.

The wagon body or bed is secured to the back bolster, A, in the usual way, and itis secured to the front bolster, II, near one end of tne same, by a pivot-holt, ax. The front bolster, near the opposite end, has a friction-roller, l, fitted in it.

I represents hounds, which are attached to e front axle, E, and have the rear end of the ift-pole secured between their front ends by f olt, c, in the usual way. J is a bar, which is permanently secured to .he reach D, at right angles therewith, and has t shaft, K, tted upon it in bearings d, so as to turn freely therein. This shaft K is provided with a crank, c, at its center, and also with a crank,f, at each end, the latter being in a reverse position to the former, and the crank eis connected to the frontbolster, H, by a rod, g.

L L represent shoes, which are provided with oblong slots h for the cranks f to pass through. (See Fig. 1.) These shoes are oftaper or wedge form.

Vhen the vehicle is being drawn 011 a level or horizontal road, or is heilig drawn 11p-hill, the king-bolt G will be at the front end ofthe slot a in the reach D, and the shoes L will be free from the back wheels, G C. This is owing to the pull of the team on the front axle. When, however, the vehicle is descending an eminence, the gravity ofthe load will act upon the front bolster, H, which then operates as a lever, the king-bolt G being its fulcrum, the pivot-bolt cx where the power is applied, and the point where rod g is connected the weight or obstacle to be moved. The front bolster is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 1, the roller b facilitating its movement under the wagon-bed, and the rod g turns the shaft K, so as to throw the shoes L L over between the back wheels, G C, and the bar J, which bind between said wheels and bar J, and serve as an efficient brake. When the vehiclereaehes the level road the front axle, under the pull Of the team, is drawn forward so that thekingbolt will bear against the front end of the slot a, and the front bolster will be moved back to its original position, and the shoes L thrown forward free from the back wheels over the har J.

In backing the vehicle at any time the oblong slots admit ot' the back wheels, in their reverse motion, throwing the shoes upward,so that they cannot bind between said wheels and the bar J.

Having thus described 'my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The shaft K, provided with the cranks c f, and shoes L L, placed on the bar J,`in relation with the wheels C, as shown, in connection with the slotted reach D, and the front bolster, H, connected, by a pivot-bolt, ctx to the wagon bed or body near one end, fitted on the king-bolt G as a 'ulerum, and connected to motion of the wheels C in backing, substanthe shaft K, by the rod g, al1 arranged to'opertially as set: fort ate in 'the manner substantiallyas and for the C A SMYTH purpose set forth.

2. The slotted shoes L L, placed on the Witnesses:

cranks f f of the shaft K, for the purpose of SAMUEL WRIGHT,

admitting the shoes to rise under the reverse I ROBERT MOUNT. 

